smartphone menu rubriken

Topic: Football and Integration

The UEFA Cup 2016

For the UEFA Cup in France, the German national football team bus has been emblazoned with the slogan "Vive la Mannschaft" or "Vive la team". At the same time, members of this team suffer public racist abuse. By Rene WildangelMore

Paris aftermath

The latest attacks by IS are an attempt to exploit societal rifts at the heart of Europe. Without a concerted effort to address deep-seated and justified concerns relating to domestic social and economic policy, France′s retaliatory strikes are likely to achieve little. By James DorseyMore

Egyptian football star Mohammed Aboutreika

Few are able to bridge Egypt's deeply polarising divide between supporters and opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood following the 2013 military coup that toppled President Mohammed Morsi. Mohammed Aboutreika, Egypt's most celebrated and storied soccer player, is proving to be either the exception that proves the rule or an indication of shifting attitudes. By James M. DorseyMore

Soccer as a force for integration

Mesut Özil and his team colleagues not only represent multicultural Germany: they also serve as popular role models within German society. This shows that football should be afforded greater recognition as a force for integration, says Shohreh KarimianMore

FIFA World Cup 2014: Iran

Vahid Hashemian played for the Iranian national squad during the 2006 World Cup in Germany. In an interview with Farid Ashrafian, he recalls the 2006 championship, compares current players with those of his own generation and considers the prospects for Iran in 2014More

The French Football Star Samir Nasri

The French national football team has regained its strength. And one of the players who had a large part to play in that achievement is Samir Nasri – whose family's roots lie in Algeria. Nasri's hot temper has often caused trouble – both on and off the pitch. By André TucicMore

Muslim Sportswomen on the Rise

An increasing number of Muslim women are competing in sports. They face numerous challenges that are not an issue for their non-Muslim sisters and have to overcome additional hurdles on their way to sporting success. Marium Sattar takes a look at the status quo and reports on how Muslim women are breaking new ground on the track, on the piste and in the boxing ringMore

Young Muslims in Germany

﻿While the debate about Muslim integration in Europe sometimes seems dominated by fears and division, Berlin-based writer Julia Hoffmann highlights one German effort to help promote diversity in the public sectorMore

Migration in Germany

Football in Germany is a powerful force in helping to integrate young people with an immigrant background. This is particularly the case for girl football players. Yet, there is still an intercultural deficit on the football field. Olivia Fritz reportsMore

Profile: Ilkay Gündogan

Ilkay Gündogan is a rapidly rising star in German football. German born, but with Turkish roots, he has won the German Championship and the DFB Cup with Borussia Dortmund, has been selected for the German squad for UEFA Euro 2012, and is "Integration Ambassador" for the German Football Association. André Tucic sends us this profileMore

The Integrative Power of Football

It appears as if Islam is always perceived only as a threat. Yet, when soccer players pray to Allah, it is a popularly acclaimed declaration of faith. Nonetheless, the football pitch still has a long way to go to becoming a multicultural paradise, says Claus LeggewieMore

Karim Benzema

There's no place like home – if you ask Karim Benzema, French football's diamond in the rough. He still lives at home with his parents and eight siblings and is loyal to his home team, Olympique Lyon. A portrait by André TucicMore

Franck Bilal Ribéry

Franck Ribéry has never been in better shape, and - winning the Champions League plus the award for Best Player in Europe - 2013 has been the best year of his career. Yet things have not always been so rosy for Ribéry, a devout Muslim and former construction worker; not everything in his career has come easy. A portrait by André TucicMore

Partner Organizations

Facebook

Most Recent Photo Essay

Fleeing war-torn Syria, painter Majd Kara found himself in Lithuania where half the population says they refuse to help asylum-seekers. Now holding his second exhibition, Kara is changing the country's attitude. By Karolis Vysniauskas